Choosing the Best Soil for Your Houseplants

Choosing the Best Soil for Your Houseplants

If you love having beautiful plants in your yard, chances are you are also the proud owner of at least a few houseplants. There are many different varieties of beautiful plants that can thrive indoors. Many of these require a sunny window to bloom, while others will even do well in low light situations. The best thing about houseplants is that they can look beautiful no matter what time of year it is or what the weather looks like outside.

Caring for Houseplants

The truth is, that all plants have an expected lifespan, some more than others. However, there are steps that you as a plant owner can take to make sure that your houseplants live as long as possible. Just like the plants outside your home, houseplants require a proper mix of light, watering, feeding, and soil. Great soil is one of the most important components for raising a healthy houseplant. However, many people mistakenly believe that any old potting soil will due.

Choosing the Right Soil for Your Houseplants

There are many different varieties of plants that can thrive indoors. These range from beautiful orchids to interesting species of cacti. It’s important to note that when it comes to houseplants, there is not one-size-fits-all potting soil. The truth is that different houseplants require different soils. Before you pot your houseplant, it’s important to do your research on what type of soil is appropriate for your specific variety of plant. For example, a cactus will likely require a quick-draining soil, while a leafy fern might benefit from a soil that retains its moisture longer.

The right kind of potting soil will give your plant its best chance at thriving. It will also limit the amount of watering that you need to do in order to keep it alive. Potting soils for houseplants typically contain a mix of different components. These usually include things like perlite for water retention, peat moss, and perhaps vermiculite. Indoor plant mixes are typically not designed to stay wet as long as outdoor potting soils. That’s because houseplants are not exposed to the same level of sunlight and airflow as outdoor pants. If they were to stay wet too long, you may risk growing mold or cutting off oxygen to the roots of your plants.

Oxygenating Your Plants

Sometimes it can be helpful to create a custom blend of potting soil for your plants. Your objective is to create a soil that will provide your plants with enough porous space to allow for adequate airflow. Proper airflow is important for your plant’s survival. Outdoor plants often benefit from natural aeration thanks to the movement of earthworms and other organisms in their soil. However, houseplants don’t typically enjoy these benefits. For that reason, it’s a good idea to aerate the soil of your houseplants by hand periodically. This can easily be done by genteelly using a pencil to make holes in the soil. Just be careful not to damage the roots of your plants by stabbing the soil to abruptly.

Temperature Control

Remember that although your plants might fare well indoors, their natural origin is outside. When outdoors your plants would be exposed to natural changes in light and temperature. However, indoor plants don’t always get the same natural balance of these elements. There are ways that you can mimic the effects of being in nature for your indoor plants. During colder months, when your plants typically would not be going through a huge growing period, you can cut back on watering your houseplants in many cases. If you are going to fertilize your houseplants, you also want to avoid doing so during the colder months. Your plants need a rest period from heavier growing periods. When you fertilize houseplants year round, they could become “leggy” and have an unappealing shape.

During the winter months, the humidity usually drops in most houses. This is due in part to the way we heat our home and the fact that door and windows are more likely to remain closed. However, many plants require humidity to thrive. This is especially true for tropical varieties of houseplants. You can help add humidity around your houseplants by simply spritzing them with a water bottle periodically. Some avid houseplant owners will even set an electric humidifier near their plants during the winter months.

Feeding & Watering Houseplants

Remember that the soil used for houseplants is designed to require less water than outdoor plants. Even if you have identical species of plants inside and outside, the indoor plant will likely require less water. It is incredibly common for people to lose houseplants from overwatering. Before you water your houseplants, you will want to check your soil and make sure that it feels dry one inch below the surface. Make sure that you plant your houseplants in containers with proper drainage.

When it comes to feeding your houseplants, you typically will not need to fertilize a houseplant if you have used proper potting soil, to begin with. Good potting soil will have all of the amendments that your plant needs to thrive. However, if you do decide to go ahead and fertilize your plants, make sure that you use a product that is specific for indoor plants.

Start with the Right Materials

At Cal Blend Soils, we carry everything you need to for your gardening and landscaping project large and small. From high-quality mulch to decorative rock, you can find exactly what you’re looking for at our shop. In addition, we carry the largest selection of topsoils in the area. When you’re looking for quality soil for your houseplants, let one of our helpful associates help you find the perfect blend. We even have the ability to create a custom soil just for your unique application. Come into our shop today and see for yourself why we are the area leading landscaping supply company.

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